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Ancient Sicily Excites the Imagination By
Arnie Greenberg (The remains of the Greek Doric temple at Segesta, Sicily, seen above, is six columns wide and 14 deep. Located in the western province of Trapani, it recalls a time, over 2,500 years ago, when an entire town once sat upon a hill, complete with a theatre). Can you imagine a place where there was life during the Bronze Age? Think of what it means to find human remains that date back to the late Paleolithic era. Go back to the Minoan and Mycenaean eras. No, you are not in Greece -- you can do all this in Sicily. I arrived with a vague sense of this island's history. I knew the Sicilians had been conquered by the great seafaring nations of old. I knew I'd find Grecian temples, Roman Ruins. I hoped for more…and I found it. Discovering a Rich Past in Sicily I discovered Greek, Roman and Punic Sicily, when the Phoenicians controlled the East. I discovered Norman relics and learned of the arrival of these northern people infected with the dream of Crusades. I found Arab cultural relics from 830, when these people took Palermo. I discovered their interest in the introduction of sugar cane, rice and the breeding of silk worms. I learned how each conquering nation brought new ideas in commerce, culture and architecture. I learned that Sicily is an island with a dynamic past. I learned, too, that today it is a vibrant modern society with a prosperous future ahead. Sicily Is Moving Forward True, there is poverty on this island of plenty. True, there are hard-working people who struggle to earn a decent wage, but Sicily is moving forward. Cars buzz by on smooth, wide highways. Hotels flourish at the water's edge. There is a tranquility that is Sicilian. There are upscale restaurants, resorts, and handicrafts for every taste. There is entertainment and some of the best archeological sites I've ever seen. There is a pride in the Sicilian man on the street. And if football is any indication of modern pride, the people of Sicily are as proud as the rest of the Europeans. To be in Palermo on the night of a football victory is to witness first-hand the fabric of Sicilian pride.
(The hills of Sicily are dotted with scenic beauty) I arrived with some knowledge of the battles fought during WWII. I knew of the bombing of Palermo. I remembered stories of the mountain battles as the Allies moved east towards the mainland. But I didn't see what the war did, except for the occasional brush-covered cement bunker, high in the hills, now too costly to remove. What I mainly saw was a pleasant and peaceful island with a certain southern charm. I saw a welcoming place, and I knew immediately that I would go back. I arrived by plane from Rome. The flight over the water was smooth, but the mountainous terrain on the north shore did surprise me. Those ancient rock faces rose suddenly from the sea around Palermo. Two days in the Sicilian capital with a local guide were enough to find out that while Palermo and the area around it had much to enjoy, the overwhelming numbers of people and that football fever I mentioned were enough to make me wonder if I had made a wise decision. As it turned out, I did enjoy the Norman and Baroque architecture, the modern shopping streets lined with shade trees, the view of the mountains, and especially the famous Cathedral at Monreale, just outside the city. This Norman-style ecclesiastical masterpiece made that morning's visit worthwhile. The Byzantine influences are everywhere. Palermo is a region of castles. It is bustling within the city walls, but peaceful as you enter the interior. Discovering a Fine Beach Area Past Mondello We chose to drive west, past the small town of Mondello between Mount Gallo and Mount Pellegrino. This is an excellent beach area, where ancient fishermen plied the waters for a once productive tuna industry. Today, it is a charming resort with natural beauty, submarine caves boasting graffiti from the Paleolithic age. This 'garden city' is now a resort created for the elite. But our destination was the northwestern tip of the island at the hibiscus-and-bougainvillea-bedecked resort town of St. Vito lo Capo, famous for its seafood, especially lobsters. The drive took us past the ruined village of Segesta and the warren of tiny streets of the crowded city of Trapani. Segesta is a good place to visit for a view of the temple, the 'perfectly pure' mountaintop theatre, and a sense of the region's history. Trapani may have an important history, but it was too crowded for my tastes. St. Vito lo Capo was strictly for tourists who wanted pleasant hotels on a clean, relaxing beach. We chose to stay overnight and then move on. We followed the western road, south past Erice and along the windmills and salt mines lined with canals, near Marsala. Our next stop was the archeological site at Selinunte. You can see the ruins from two miles away. It is difficult to explain how small one feels next to this great temple that seems to be 'the work of giants.' It's almost like the builders' purpose was to intimidate the gods and scare the humans. Greek Temples in Agrigento Our stop that night was at the Jolly Hotel Della Valle, in Agrigento next to the spectacular recreation of Greek temples, like the Temples of Harmony, or Hercules, Castor and Pollux. It is a valley of olive trees and dates back to the 5th century BC. It was constructed to thank Zeus for the victory against the Carthaginians in 480 BC. No wonder it was called "the most beautiful city of mortals." (The Jolly Hotel Della Valle in Agrigento)
Look for the bigger-than-life figure lying on the ground. I've never seen anything like it before. It is so lifelike even after all this time. A morning walking through the site was rewarded with a refreshing dip in the hotel's hillside pool. From Agrigento we drove east through Gela, then north to Piazza Armerina with its spectacular Villa Casale set of 3,000 square meters of ancient mosaics. Subdivided into 40 rooms, it is one of the most unique residences of Roman antiquity. A drive to ancient Enna on a pinnacle looking out over an awesome vista is its own reward. This ancient fortified town is a steep climb -- but well worth the effort. Then it's a strait drive east to Catania, where you make a choice to go south to Syracuse or north towards Taormina. We chose the latter. There, on the gentle coast below the town, is the village of Guardini Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily and the beachfront, luxurious Hotel Hellenia Yachting. Our room had a terrace looking out to sea with Taormina high on the cliff behind us (5 Km away). We would walk around the village, along the beach, or up into the hills a short drive away. The ancient theatre in Taormina, the second largest in Sicily, is still used today, and a view of the natural and unspoiled coastline by day or night is worth the trip. In
the background one can see nearby Etna standing proudly in the sun. Taormina grew
as a holiday spot for international travelers in the 19th century. It is popular
with visitors from England. Driving Up to Mt. Etna After lunch, it's a relatively easy drive to Mt. Etna. You can get fairly high up by car, but to visit the smoldering rim, you have to hire a special car and driver. We were interested in the force of the lava as it cleared away everything in its wake. Nature such as this, the powerful force, has no restrictions. From the top you can see almost 200 km in every direction. It is something one must do when in Sicily. But our time was up, and we headed back to Palermo, only four hours away. From there we raced to the airport at 150 K in an ancient taxicab -- just one more adventure to tell our friends about. A more relaxing way to visit Sicily might be to arrive and depart by ferry from Naples. The new service is upscale, and you save on a hotel room as you travel over night. Would I go back? Yes. I have already made plans to return next May. There are still things to see and things I'd like to do again. IF
YOU GO… (Click below for more travel).
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